The Flower Bud Times
by K. R. Walker
Summary: "I can taste the nicotine on his lips, mixed with a sweetness that I can't even describe… By the time he pulls away, I'm left in a daze, my knees weak and my heart pounding." Rated M for Sexual Content, Swearing and Alcohol Use. Disclaimer: I do not own the Harvest Moon franchise. OCxJamie(M), OCxBlue


**The Flower Bud Times**

**Book One: **_Chapter One_

From the Point of View of Reagan:

"Reagan? Hello…?" I snap out of my daze as my best friend Nora snaps her fingers in front of my face. "Are you alive?"

Grumbling, I bite at her fingers. "Nora, why do I have to be at this party anyways? It's boring… and I still have some unpacking to do!"

"Rea, it's our welcome party. The people of the village are trying to make us feel like we belong here now. The least you can do is stay through the whole thing. It's not like you're even socializing…"

I glance around at the odd array of people around me and shrug at her. "Nobody seems interesting. It's not my fault you moved us to world's most boring town."

Just yesterday, Nora and I gave up the city life to come to Flower Bud Village, some town in the middle of nowhere that only has about forty people max in it. I didn't really want to go with her… but we've been best friends since we were in middle school, and we've been living together since our freshman year of college. Now that we've graduated, I feel like I can't just abandon her in this backwards farming town.

She's about to open her mouth again when I slap my hand over it, dragging her into the corner of the town square and crouching down. "Oh. My God. Nora, who is that?"

She follows my eyes to the man who's just walked into the party. "Oh, him? That's Jamie. He's kind of a weirdo, if I remember correctly… But he seems pretty harmless. Why are you freaking out?"

"Perhaps because he's drop dead gorgeous?" I say, scanning him from head to toe. His white hair has an almost lavender tint to it, and his tanned body just looks so strong and muscular… His arms bulge under his tight black t-shirt, and his dark wash jeans are straining to contain him.

Nora just scoffs and pushes me off of her. "So go say hi, dork."

I breathe in deeply and straighten out my purple hoodie, making sure I look nice before I approach him. As I get closer, I can see the bright teal color of his eyes, and it makes my heart jump a little. "Uhm… hi…" I say bashfully, looking down at the ground, afraid to meet his eyes.

"Hey there," he says, smiling down at me. I can't see his smile, but I can sense it in his voice.

"My name's Reagan… my friend told me you're Jamie?" I ask, looking up and catching my breath as I find his eyes bearing down into mine, and a friendly grin on his lips.

He chuckles a little, "Yepp, that would be me. And… you're British?" he asks, like everyone else I've met.

"Yeah… born and raised," I tell him, blushing a little. Why does he make me act like an idiot?

He looks over at Nora and chuckles softly. She's hardcore creeping on our conversation. "God, I remember watching Nora toddle around her grandfather's farm every summer before he passed on. It was such a shame… but without the competition, my own farm flourished greatly."

I nod, smiling up at him like a retarded school girl. _Come on, Reagan, you're 21 years old… act like it._ "You… you knew Nora when she was a child?"

"Of course! Everyone did. Oh, her and Blue… that dopey guy still has a thing for her, I hear. He's been waiting years to meet her again. And now she's here, and he won't show his face."

My brain overloads a little, and I know I have confusion written all over my face. "Blue… Blue is a person? I always thought it was a color…"

Apparently he finds this hilarious, because he's almost doubled over laughing at me. "He runs the Blue Sky Ranch, over down that path," he tells me, pointing to the left. "Nora and him were best friends when they were kids, and everyone knew that Blue was head over heels in love with her. Except her, of course, but hey, they were just kids."

I smile at the touching story, wondering if Nora will run across Blue again sometime soon. "So you own a farm too?" It's amazing how easy it's becoming to talk to this guy.

"Yeah, I own a ranch down near your farm, actually. I dabble in a bit of everything, from animals to gardening. It's just so relaxing… but I'm sure you know all about farming, don't you?"

I shrug and sigh softly, "I actually don't… I've always been good at growing plants, but I'm more of a city girl than anything else."

"Well, that's a relief. I was worried that Nora may've brought some insanely good farmer with her. Though I should've known… you're too pretty to be a farm girl."

I smile at that, blushing and looking down. "Well, thanks… but you don't know anything but my face. When people see the real me, it tends to put them off."

His brow furrows and all of a sudden, he takes my hand, "Come on, I need a smoke and I can tell you need to get away from here."

I stumble a little, following him down the path which I believe leads to our farm and his ranch. He is right about me needing to get away. I tend to get a little anxious at parties… I've never been much for crowds.

As we walk down the dirt path, I look up at him, "So, you smoke?"

He stops and stares down at me, eyes wide. "Does that disgust you? I'm the only one in town who does… I don't have to if you don't want."

I chuckle and pull my own pack of cigarettes out of my pocket, "It's a horrible habit… but it relaxes me so much…"

He sighs deeply and smiles, continuing on down the path. "Oh good… I was so worried that you wouldn't like me anymore… But hey, nobody in town sells these, so you'll have to get them through me. I do business with surrounding cities, so I can pick up things you can't find here. They love the fresh produce and animal products that I sell them weekly. I'm actually the only one in town with a car because everyone else tends to shy away from modern technology."

It's pretty awesome that someone else in town is at least a little adapted to the city. "So… I don't know if it's weird to ask, but could I go with you to the city sometime? It's been a day and I already miss it…"

"Why of course you can… I could actually use the help, if you wouldn't mind unloading some boxes occasionally. Then we can explore the city as much as you want."

I grin, nodding quickly, "Oh please! I don't mind helping if I get to see the city occasionally!"

We come to a stop in front of his ranch, and he leads me to the porch where we sit down on the porch swing together. It's gotten dark out since our walk, and when he lights my cigarette for me, I catch his eyes again. "Thanks…" I mumble, taking a deep inhale and feeling my entire body relax.

"No problem," he says, smiling down at me in the dim glow of the lighter. He's a great deal taller than me… I feel like I'm always looking up at him. "You know, Reagan…" he starts, but then he flips his lighter shut and looks away from me.

"What?" I wonder, trying to get his attention. He takes a long drag from his cigarette and sighs, smoke billowing from his lips.

"Nothing… I'm just glad I met you…" he finishes. I can't tell in the dark, but I feel like he's definitely blushing right now.

I giggle a little and put my hand on his cheek, gazing up into his eyes in the moonlight. "I'm glad I met you too, Jamie."

He jumps a little when I touch him, but relaxes and laughs softly, "Now… I want to see the 'you' that apparently scares everyone."

This makes me blush, and I stand up and walk to the railing, looking out over his vast farm. "I don't think that's wise… I just met you, and…"

Suddenly I feel his body press against mine from behind, and my heart skips about four beats at once. He reaches in front of me and unzips my hoodie slowly, sliding the fabric off my shoulders. I gasp softly and try to grab it, fighting his pull. "No… let me…" he whispers in my ear, and my hands drop to my sides.

"Wait, Jamie… just… let me go home, and I'll come back in a half hour… I'll look like myself then…" I tell him, zipping my hoodie back up. I do like having him behind me… but he needs to understand that I'm different from anyone he's ever interacted with.

He steps back and looks at me, and I can tell he's entirely confused. "Reagan, what on earth could be so bad? You look totally normal now…"

"Yeah, I know! Nora made me tone it down for the party… but I'm sick of this! These awful baggy jeans and this huge sweatshirt… I can't just live like this!" I exclaim, groaning in frustration.

"Go… but promise me you'll come back?" he asks, meeting my eyes once again.

I put my cigarette out in his ashtray and nod, "I'll be back, I promise."

He shows me the way to my house, and I head down the path quickly. Once I'm in my room, I discard the baggy clothing and rifle through my suitcases for one of my normal outfits.

It's not that I'm some sort of freak, or that I dress in a clown costume every day… But I haven't seen anyone else in town that's covered in tattoos and piercings, and wears vintage style fashion every day like I do.

I wipe clear the natural makeup that Nora had done for me, and replace it with my normal black winged eyeliner and cherry red lipstick, putting all my piercings back in. My nose stud, my lower lip ring, and all nine of my ear piercings make me look… more like me. I even slide in a bellybutton ring before I get dressed.

My hair is a deep auburn-black color, and I curl it into a sexy pinup hairstyle, wrapping a folded red bandana around my head and tying it on top to polish it off. After I get dressed in one of my typical vintage outfits, I slide on red pumps and head down to Jamie's place again.

However, someone stops me as I'm halfway out the door. "Reagan! Where on Earth have you been?! And where are you going dressed like that? Didn't we talk about this?"

"Nora, look. I appreciate you trying to make me fit in more here, but I just can't do it. I have to be myself. If people judge me because of it, I'll just brush it off like I did in the city. It'll be okay," I tell her, before stopping and staring at the tall man behind her. "Uhm… hi?"

"This is Blue," she says, blushing deeply and looking up at him, "And Blue, this is Reagan."

He smiles awkwardly and waves a bit. "Hi."

I give Nora a look and push past them, wanting to get back to Jamie. "I'll be at the ranch down the street. Don't worry about me."

She doesn't seem to care much, and lets me go without further questioning. I wonder for a moment what the two of them are doing at our place, but my mind stops working when I see Jamie standing at the same spot on the porch waiting for me. I inhale deeply and approach him, stepping into the faded porch light.

At first, he doesn't say anything. It worries me… I can tell that he's looking over all of my artwork, and my piercings. _He's going to judge me… he's going to—_kiss me? In one swift motion, I'm in his arms and his lips are pressed against mine in a hungry, intoxicating kiss.

I let out a soft moan and part my lips, allowing his tongue in and meeting it with mine. I can taste the nicotine on his lips, mixed with a sweetness that I can't even describe… By the time he pulls away, I'm left in a daze, my knees weak and my heart pounding.

"You're absolutely gorgeous," he tells me, looking down directly into my eyes. "Don't ever change yourself just to fit in here."

I try to form a sentence, but I just can't find any words. He takes this as an opportunity to kiss me again, much more softly this time. I smile on his lips and he pulls back, looking a little confused. "What?"

"Thank you, Jamie…" I say quietly, biting my lower lip and blushing deeply.

He chuckles and pulls me closer to him, kissing my forehead softly. "Reagan, I really don't know what you were so worried about. You were acting like it was some cryptic secret that you couldn't show anyone. So you have tattoos, is that supposed to put people off? I think you'll be surprised with how much these people can look past."

"That's… reassuring," I say, smiling at him. "Nora was so worried that they'd hate me because I look different, but I'm really not that different on the inside."

"Oh no, you are. But that's what I like about you so much," he says, grinning down at me with a certain light in his eyes. "I bet Nora told you that I'm strange, didn't she?"

_Well now that you mention it… _"She did, but… you don't seem strange to me."

"Exactly."

I can't help myself… I lean up as far as I can reach and press my lips against his, feeling him react by tightening his hold on me and deepening my timid kiss. I wrap my arms around him and part my lips again, never wanting this kiss to end.

But with our bodies pressed together, I notice quickly that he's becoming aroused… and the feeling of him pressed against my stomach makes my heart flip and I'm suddenly not sure if it's a bad thing. He must notice that he's hard, because he breaks the kiss, making me groan a little in displeasure, and steps back, turning away from me in embarrassment.

"S…sorry…" he mumbles, but I'm too worked up to care. I walk up behind him and turn him back to face me, pressing my body against his again and kissing him a bit more hungrily than before.

I don't know if I need to say anything at this point… I think he gets the message. Next thing I know, I'm pressed against his front door, pinned between his strong arms. He's looking at me with a desire I haven't seen from a man in months.

"All you have to do is tell me to stop… but if you don't, you need to know that you're mine tonight. And I'm going to go as far as you'll let me," he says in almost a growl, his eyes bearing down into mine possessively.

If I learned anything from past experiences, it's how to tell what a man likes… and this man is very dominant. And for some reason, I want to be the submissive girl that he needs. He's probably never explored this side of himself… not with anyone in this town at least. Maybe in the city… but only in passing.

"I'm yours…" I whisper, almost in a soft moan. His hand reaches down and turns the doorknob, and we both stumble through the doorway, his hands on my waist as he pushes me into the house. He turns and practically drags me up the stairs to his bedroom, laying me back on his bed before kissing me deeply, pulling at my tank top. I let him take it off of me, my hands moving to rub his hardness through his jeans. He nearly stops breathing and I look up at him. "Are you okay?" I ask softly, a bit nervous now.

"Y…yeah… I'm fine… that just feels really good…" he groans, leaning back to enjoy my touch a bit before stripping off his own shirt. The sight of his perfect body just turns me on more, and my fingers slide the zipper of his jeans down, and then unbutton them. His breath catches again and I smile a little.

But then his mood shifts and he snatches my hands from his pants, pinning them above my head with just one of his own hands. I squeak a little in surprise, but it makes my stomach flip and I can't wait for what he'll do next. It's clear that he enjoys being in control, which I'm just fine with. His other hand slides over my body, slowly undressing me, his fingers surprisingly nimble against my bra and pants. He gets me completely naked under him, then lets my arms go and sits back, probably looking at all of my tattoos.

"God, you're beautiful…" he whispers softly, tracing his fingers over a couple of them. His hands drift up to my breasts, and he teases my nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, making them hard and sensitive. I moan softly, which seems to drive him forward and he leans down and wraps his tongue around one of them, milking a louder moan out of me.

"Jamie…!" I groan, squirming underneath him. Somehow in the time span that he's been making me moan, he's gotten his pants and boxers off. He looks up and grabs me by the throat, not squeezing hard enough to hurt me or cut off my air, but enough to make me cry out in pleasure as he simultaneously slides two fingers into me. He's overloading me with all these wonderful sensations… I want him more than anything right now.

He's fingering me roughly, his eyes locked onto mine as I moan beneath him. "Jamie… I want you now…" I manage to choke out, unable to lie still anymore. I'm grinding against his fingers, craving him… He pulls his fingers out and I let out a disappointed groan, but I'm quickly satisfied again as he slides his entire thick length into me in one motion. But he doesn't move, and I can't figure out why, so I whine loudly, looking up at him.

"Are you… do I need…?" he stumbles over his words, and I know exactly what he means.

I shake my head, "I've been on the pill for years…" I say softly, wishing he'd just fuck me already. I don't have to wait long for that… the moment he hears my words, he pulls almost all the way out and slams back in, starting up a slow pace at first, but quickly gaining speed. I move up against him, trying to match his pace and groaning loudly with every thrust.

He leans down over me and captures my lips again, stifling my moans with his mouth as he fucks me down into the bed hard. But neither of us can handle it for long, and just as I feel myself reaching my climax, he slams into me and fills me with cum, collapsing over me and panting into my ear softly. Somewhere in the process, I must've grabbed a handful of his hair, and my grip relaxes as I come down from the best orgasm I've ever experienced.

"My God, Jamie… that was amazing…"

He nods, at a loss for words, and I just smile at him, snuggling against him. He slowly pulls out of me and shifts his weight, laying down next to me and pulling me into his arms. "Reagan… I… I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, looking at my neck. I touch it and jump a little at the stinging sensation I feel. He must've scratched me on accident.

"No, Jamie… no, I liked it… I like the rough play a lot, I always have… don't hold back with me, okay?" I tell him, then blush a little, "Not that I'm assuming this'll happen again…"

He gasps softly, and looks a little panicked for a moment. "I don't ever want this to end, Reagan… Please, I… I need you…" he says, pulling me closer and holding me tight.

His words shock me a little and I look into his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, you don't have to panic, Jamie… I don't want it to end either. Can I… can I stay here tonight…?" I ask him, a little nervous of what he might say.

"Of course, Reagan… you can stay as long as you'd like, as far as I'm concerned…" he says, yawning a little and cuddling down into his pillow. I smile and turn on my side, and he gladly accepts the spooning position, pressing himself against me from the back and clutching me near to him. I have no idea what I've just gotten myself into… but for now, I just want to fall asleep and wake up in his arms.

From the Point of View of Nora:

"Oh it was the best thing I've ever seen! My father went back into the kitchen to yell at the cook for not having pancakes after noon, and the cook tried to throw him into the soup of the day!" Maria exclaims, giggling in her girlish, obnoxious way. Her father, the mayor, certainly is quite a card. Such a little, pancake obsessed man.

I excuse myself from the crowd around me and scan the village square for Reagan. She seems to have disappeared since her little ordeal about Jamie… not that I care much—I'm sick of babysitting her. She's going to do what she wants, I suppose.

"Nora…" I hear behind me, and I spin around on my heels, coming face to chest with probably the tallest man I've ever seen. I crane my neck up and gasp, recognizing him immediately.

"Blue!" I exclaim, throwing my arms around his shoulders and hugging him close. "Oh, I missed you!"

He chuckles and hugs me back, nearly crushing me between his muscular arms. I squeak a little and he lets up, laughing harder. "I missed you too, Nora-Bug. How've you been? I haven't seen you since we were kids…"

I grin up at him and lean back against a light pole. "I've been great! Graduated college like I always dreamed… and now I finally feel like I'm where I belong. How about you? I heard that you took over your uncle's business?"

"Yeah, he finally turned it over to me. He still keeps an eye on me, but I've been running it myself for a couple of years now. So you did go to college? What major?"

"I'm actually a vet now… I figured it would come in handy out here."

He looks a bit confused, "How did you get a vet degree in just four years? Isn't med school a lot longer?"

"Well, I went to a special technical school, where I could get my degree in half the time it usually takes, because they don't waste time on all the core classes that normal colleges require. I would have like… three hour classes every day, but I didn't mind. I got my undergrad in a year and a half and my bachelor's at the same college in the next two and a half years. Reagan actually went to the same school and took cosmetology. We lived together for a long time, which is why she decided to come out her with me."

"That's fantastic… I actually could use a vet rather often. We have no clue what we're doing when it comes to sick animals… Jamie could probably use you too. He's been losing a lot of his poultry lately, and he can't figure out why," he tells me. I use the opportunity while he's talking to check him out, and I'm very much enjoying what I see. He's got the same sandy blond hair that I remember, and the deep blue eyes that made his name understandable. He's so tan… and he's wearing a red plaid button down shirt, his sleeves rolled to his elbows, with nice fitting dark wash jeans. And he's got his signature hat on, blue, red and yellow.

I snap out of it when I realize that he's been silent for a while, and he's looking at me like I'm an alien. I chuckle a bit, "Sorry about that… you just look so different, is all…"

"Me? I think you've changed much more than I have…" he says, and I know that he's checking me out as well. I guess I have changed quite a bit… Reagan convinced me to lighten my dirty blonde hair to a more golden color, and she cut it up to my shoulders, in a layered, bouncy style. My green eyes are the same as always, besides the fact that I wear a little bit of mascara and eyeliner now. I suppose I've gotten taller since we were kids, of course, about average height for a woman of twenty two.

"Oh, whatever! You're the one who's grown like a weed!" I exclaim, hardly able to believe how tall he's gotten.

He chuckles and nods, "Yeah, I just grazed six foot two last year. I hope I'm done growing, or we'll need to raise the doorways at the ranch," he jokes, his smile making me melt a bit inside. His teeth are so white and perfect… it just makes his smile absolutely gorgeous.

"Jeez… I'm barely five foot eight…" I say, blushing a little.

"Yeah, but you're plenty cute anyways," he says, then gets the weirdest look on his face, turning bright red. "I mean… uhm…" I smile and look down, not sure what to say. "You're really pretty…" he says suddenly, and I feel my cheeks flush even more.

"Thanks…" I mumble, afraid to look up at him. "Uhm… would you maybe want to come over tonight for dinner? I have a feeling that Reagan isn't going to be home, and I don't like to eat alone…"

When I do finally look up, he's grinning like a fool. "Sure! I'm actually really good at cooking, so I can help out a lot. But, do you even have food? You've only been here a day."

"We stopped to get food in the city before we came out here, so we have a few things. I could make vegetable stew, if you'd like. I don't eat meat… but I can make some for you, if you'd like?" I ask him, wondering if he would mock me for being a vegetarian like everyone else does.

"I actually don't either… my main job is to raise animals, I don't think I could handle eating any of them…" he says, laughing a little. "Stew sounds great. The party is dying down a little, did you wanna say goodbye to everyone and head out?"

It does seem like everyone is heading home. I hadn't even noticed, but it's getting dark out already. "Uhm… yeah, let me say bye to the Mayor and Maria, at least."

After I've said my goodbyes, and the party breaks up a little more, Blue and I head down the path to my house. We don't talk much… I think he's really nervous since his comment about me being pretty. I'm really nervous too… he's much more handsome than I thought he would be.

"So… how old are you now?" I ask him, a little curious.

"You don't remember? I'm two years older than you, silly. Twenty four," he tells me, laughing and shaking his head. "You never have had a great memory, huh?"

I giggle a little and nod, "Yeah, I guess not… Wow… it's still odd being an adult now, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah, most definitely," he agrees, "So much more responsibility… and my Uncle is already down my back to get married. I just don't get it… I'm not interested in any of the women here, and I've never been to the city before. Am I just supposed to poof up a bride out of thin air?"

I blush, a little disappointed. "I can see how that would be difficult… well hey, if you ever wanted to go to the city, Reagan would probably show you around. She's not very good at socializing, but she knows how to bar crawl pretty well."

He gives me an odd look and stops for a second, "Nora, I don't wanna meet some dumb bimbo in a bar… I want a pure country girl, someone who'd be happy here for the rest of her life."

"Yeah?" I wonder, "Well then… Good luck in your search…"

The conversation drops off there, but I can't help but think that I'd be just that girl for him…

"Wait, why are the lights on? I didn't think Reagan would be here…" My question is answered as Reagan opens the door, looking like… well, Reagan. "Reagan! Where on Earth have you been?! And where are you going dressed like that? Didn't we talk about this?"

"Nora, look. I appreciate you trying to make me fit in more here, but I just can't do it. I have to be myself. If people judge me because of it, I'll just brush it off like I did in the city. It'll be okay," she says, and I can tell she's wondering why Blue is with me. "Uhm… hi?"

"This is Blue," I say, introducing the two, "And Blue, this is Reagan."

"Hi." And he seems a little confused by her sudden change in appearance.

She steps past us and turns back to me, "I'll be at the ranch down the street. Don't worry about me."

I roll my eyes and invite Blue in. I know exactly where she's going, and I really hope that she doesn't sleep with him tonight. She doesn't need to get herself into that mess again.

"So… she's met Jamie, I take it?" he asks, sitting down at the kitchen table as I get out the ingredients for the stew.

"Yeah, she was freaking out about him… apparently he's 'drop dead gorgeous' or something like that…" I tell him. "I just don't get it… she always goes for the worst guys for her."

His brow furrows and he looks at me, "Jamie's not a bad guy… he's actually pretty decent once you get past his competitive nature."

"Exactly… he's a nice guy. She's going to break his heart. It's what she does. She gets into these things so fast, and she always ends up leaving the guy in the dust."

"Oh jeez… well if I know Jamie, he can handle himself… but I do hope that nothing happens between them if that's the case," he says, getting up to help me chop veggies.

I sigh heavily, "If she's already showing him how she usually looks… I don't know… but I guess I should stop worrying about it. He'll find out about her soon enough."

"I sense that she's got some other problems…"

He's right… she does. "Well, she's a smoker, and she drinks way too much, and she has these intense panic attacks… last time she had a bad one, she almost killed herself… and she sleeps around like nobody's business. And I just don't know how to get through to her anymore… she's the only family I have left, and she's… I just don't want to see her get hurt."

I really don't know why I'm telling him all of this… I just feel like we've known each other forever. And we have, really. Even fourteen years of not seeing each other can't change that. He's my best friend… besides Reagan, of course. But it's different with him.

"Don't worry about her too much, Nora. You have to let her make her own mistakes, or she'll never learn."

"You're right, Blue… Sorry I just randomly dumped all of that on you. You're just easy to talk to, I guess," I apologize, hoping he doesn't care much.

He just shrugs, "It's fine. I don't mind giving some friendly advice," he says, turning to smile at me. "Looks like everything is ready… it just needs to cook down now."

I nod and turn the burner down so the soup can simmer, putting a lid on the pot and taking Blue out to the living room. We're still in the process of unpacking, but the couch is cleared off so we can sit there.

"So Blue…" I trail off, unsure what we can talk about now. "Uhm…" I'm interrupted by a loud yapping sound, almost like a dog barking. "What the hell…?"

Blue jumps up and runs to the window, looking for the source of the noise. "Is that… Nora, there's a dog out there," he tells me, pulling on his boots. I slip my shoes on and follow him outside, and sure enough, there's a small puppy digging around my yard.

"What should we do? Does it seem nice?" I ask him, unsure of how to approach a wild dog.

Blue simply kneels down, and the pup runs towards him, leaping up into his arms and kissing him all over. He laughs and looks up at me, "I guess that's your answer!"

The puppy suddenly gets more excited and leaps over into my arms, but then starts whining loudly. I set it down and lift up it's front paw, seeing a thorn stuck in the pad. "Oh no, it's hurt!" I exclaim, scooping it up and carrying it into the house.

"I'll hold it, you get what you need," he tells me, taking it into his arms as I run upstairs to grab my tweezers from the bathroom. He holds it's paw while I pluck the thorn out, eliciting a small yelp from the puppy. But once it's out, the pup seems to perk up even more, attacking Blue with tons of kisses.

While he's got it, I take a quick look and laugh, "Looks like we've got a little girl on our hands! Do you know who she belongs to?"

"I have no idea… we get strays that wander here through the woods sometimes. She doesn't have any tags or anything… she probably needs a home. And maybe a bath…"

I nod—she's very very muddy. "Why don't we take her upstairs and wash her off? It's too dark to use the hose."

He carries her up behind me and we set her down in the bathtub, trying to keep her from squirming away. She's very hyper, and it takes us quite awhile to bathe her with her wiggling around so much.

"Ack!" I screech as she leaps towards me and makes me spray myself with the showerhead. Blue catches her in midair and sets her back in the tub, but she jumps up again immediately and knocks the showerhead over toward Blue, soaking him as well.

I look at him, and he looks at me, and we both burst out laughing. Bad idea on our part, because the soaked puppy decides to take a leap of faith out of the bathtub and run out of the room into the house. "No! Puppy, come back!" I shout, scrambling to get to my feet and taking off after her. Blue follows, slipping on the wet floor and nearly falling on his face.

"Are you okay?!" I call out to him, frantically looking for the puppy that's loose in the house.

"I'm fine! Find her!" he yells, picking himself up and searching as well.

I run all over the house, soaking wet, calling for the nameless pup. Suddenly I turn around and come face to puppy with Blue, who's holding her in his arms. "She was in Reagan's room. I, uhm… I don't know how to say this, but Reagan's shoe didn't make it…" he says, holding up a chewed moccasin.

"Damn it… she's going to be so mad. Did you shut her door?"

He nods and I sigh, taking the shoe and throwing it back into her room. She can be mad at me later, right now I just need to figure out what to do with this puppy.

"I can take her to the ranch, if you'd like. You don't really have the time to raise a dog while starting a farm too… But you can visit all you want," he offers.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea… what should we call her? I think she needs a name…"

He thinks for a moment, and looks at her. "Hm… Janey?"

I grin, loving the name, "I think that fits her well! Hi, Janey-Pup!" I tell her, petting the wet puppy. She licks my hand and I smile, then leap up to my feet, "Oh god, the soup!"

Running to the kitchen, I turn the burner off and take off the lid, stirring it and hoping it didn't burn the bottom of the pot. It looks all right, so I call Blue in for dinner. The puppy trails along behind him and I give him a look.

"What are you, a dog whisperer?" I wonder, because suddenly she's being so good. He sits down at the table and she curls up on his foot and falls asleep.

"She just seems to like me," he says, chuckling and patting her on the head. I set his bowl down in front of him and then pout.

"We're all wet. And we'll get itchy soon…"

He looks down at himself and laughs, "I hardly noticed!" And with that, he strips off his shirt and tosses it into the sink. "Well? Go change, silly. You'll catch a cold."

I'm too busy gaping at his bare chest to respond, so I just back out of the room slowly and go change into a warm sweatshirt. When I come back, Janey is still on his foot, but she's rolled over onto her back. I squeal loudly at the cuteness, and Blue looks at me.

"You okay?" I nod and point to his foot, and he looks down and chuckles. "How cute… she's just darling. Any idea what breed she is?"

I pour myself a bowl of stew and sit down, looking at her. "It's a little early to tell… but she seems like a Saint Bernard to me. Maybe a mix of some kind."

His eyes widen, "Don't they get huge?"

"Well… yeah, yeah they do. But I could be totally wrong… it's just a guess."

Throughout the rest of dinner, we chat lightly about nothing in particular, enjoying our delicious stew, and the company of Janey. But the night has to come to an end eventually… it's nearly midnight already.

"Wow, I guess you were right about Reagan not come home," he comments, holding Janey in his arms as he gets ready to leave.

I sigh heavily, "Yeah… she must've stayed at Jamie's. Whatever… like you said, she has to make her own mistakes. Anyways, thank you for taking Janey with you. You're definitely right, I can't get this farm off the ground and raise a puppy at the same time."

"It's no problem. We've got a couple of dogs already, so she'll have some friends to learn from. And the yard is fenced in for them, so she can just run all day. Feel free to stop by tomorrow and see her, if you remember where the ranch is," he says with a wink.

"Of course I remember!" I say, "I spent almost every day there with you when I would visit."

He smiles and looks down into my eyes, making my breath hitch for a moment. "Promise you'll come visit me?"

"Promise."


End file.
